When Chu Shaoqiang took off his fedora, He Jiaqing finally recognized him.
To say he wasn't shocked would be a lie. In Puluo Province, everyone knew Chu Shaoqiang was dead. Most believed he had died while clearing wasteland, while a select few knew he had died at the hands of the Garrison Commissioner.
Yet almost no one knew he was still alive, and He Jiaqing certainly had not known.
Even so, He Jiaqing knew one thing: crossing paths with Chu Shaoqiang here was surely no coincidence.
"Uncle Qiang, did you come to Wuqin Township looking for me?" Chu Shaoqiang was an elder, so He Jiaqing spoke to him very politely.
Chu Shaoqiang smiled. "Let's eat some noodles first. My treat."
Chu Shaoqiang ordered two bowls of noodles, two side dishes, and a pot of wine.
After they finished their meal together, He Jiaqing said, "Uncle Qiang, isn't it time to talk business?"
Chu Shaoqiang paid the bill and smiled faintly. "Let's talk outside. We have no ties to the people here; it wouldn't be right to drag them into our affairs."
As they stepped out of the noodle shop, Chu Shaoqiang made a point of warning him, "Don't walk too close to the base of the walls. There are mud pits."
With that, Chu Shaoqiang glanced down at his leather shoes; the dried muck on them still hadn't been wiped clean.
They chatted as they walked. Chu Shaoqiang said, "You were such a lovable child when you were little. Haiqin and I were quite close, too. Back then, I even thought of arranging a childhood betrothal between you and Huaiyuan, but that girl was spoiled rotten by me—no matter what I said, she wouldn't agree."
He Jiaqing smiled. "I was the one unworthy of Miss Huaiyuan."
"See, this is why people say you're sensible. You're always so considerate with your words."
They walked from the main street into an alleyway, and Chu Shaoqiang turned to the main topic: "In Puluo Province, I've heard quite a few rumors about you."
He Jiaqing said, "If they are rumors concerning the Peak of the Sages, there must be a great deal of misunderstanding involved."
Chu Shaoqiang nodded. "I think there are misunderstandings as well. Lately, there have also been some misunderstandings between me and the Peak of the Sages. I intend to take you to the Peak of the Sages to clear all of them up."
At those words, He Jiaqing slipped his hands into his coat pockets. "Uncle Qiang, is that your purpose in coming to Wuqin Township?"
"Not entirely, but since we've run into each other, you might as well come with me."
"I cannot go to the Peak of the Sages. The Sage up there has no place for me."
"Jiaqing, all I want is to bring you to the Peak of the Sages, but I never planned to negotiate with you," Chu Shaoqiang said, glancing down at He Jiaqing's hands. "Keeping your hands in your pockets like that—are you reaching for a weapon?"
He Jiaqing shook his head. "I'm an honest boy. How would I dare act out before a senior?"
"Reaching for a weapon is fine too. I appreciate juniors like you, and I wouldn't mind seeing what you're truly capable of." Chu Shaoqiang smiled. Suddenly, a hunting net descended from the sky, falling squarely over He Jiaqing.
A faint trace of regret appeared on Chu Shaoqiang's face; He Jiaqing's strength left him somewhat disappointed.
He advised He Jiaqing, "Son, don't struggle. You won't break free, and blindly thrashing about will only make you suffer more."
He Jiaqing felt the texture of the hunting net and sighed. "I truly can't break free of this net, but perhaps Uncle Qiang has a way."
Chu Shaoqiang frowned, puzzled by his words.
Could He Jiaqing be a mind cultivator capable of manipulating him into releasing the net himself?
Yet according to word from the Peak of the Sages, He Jiaqing was supposed to be a journey cultivator.
Chu Shaoqiang did not dare let his guard down. He focused his mind, bracing against mind-cultivator techniques.
He Jiaqing pulled his hand from his pocket, holding a small knife.
With this knife, he sliced open the hunting net and quickly fled out of Chu Shaoqiang's sight.
"Impossible! How could his knife cut through my hunting net?" Chu Shaoqiang could hardly believe it.
In his astonishment, he suddenly realized that something was missing from his person.
That knife?
The knife in He Jiaqing's hand was his?
Chu Shaoqiang looked toward the direction He Jiaqing had fled.
He did not give chase. Thief cultivators excelled at fleeing for their lives; while their speed and endurance could not match a journey cultivator's, they were far superior to a craft cultivator's. Chu Shaoqiang possessed a journey cultivator artifact, but He Jiaqing had already had a head start, so even with an artifact it would be difficult to catch him.
Moreover, craft cultivators were heavily counteracted by thief cultivators, and Chu Shaoqiang had no desire to take needless risks.
"Outsiders claim He Jiaqing cultivates both civil and martial arts, and the Peak of the Sages says he's a journey cultivator. Who would have thought he's actually a thief?"
Chu Shaoqiang walked through the town for a while and saw Ma the Fifth preparing a construction site along the street.
He glanced over the blueprints in Ma the Fifth's hands and realized Ma the Fifth intended to build a restaurant. Wuqin Township didn't have a large population and its local customs were terrible; could anyone make money building a restaurant here? But then again, Ma Junyang was a prodigy in commerce; perhaps he really could make something of it.
Looking at Ma the Fifth's blueprints, Chu Shaoqiang said, "Little brother, this restaurant of yours is far too extravagant. It doesn't suit this place."
Ma the Fifth looked back at Chu Shaoqiang. The man looked familiar, but Ma the Fifth couldn't quite recall where he had seen him.
Being able to see the intricacies just from looking at the blueprints proved that this man was an expert, and Ma the Fifth had always respected experts. "I actually think this restaurant is still a bit plain. It's several tiers below Qianyue Tower."
"Qianyue Tower?" Chu Shaoqiang chuckled. "That's one of the top restaurants in Lüshui City. This is Wuqin Township—how could it possibly support such a fine place?"
"It can!" Ma the Fifth said with utter confidence. "Big brother, this place won't be called Wuqin Township anymore. From now on, this is Qiqiu City."
"Qiqiu City? It's been called Wuqin Township for all these years. Who changed the name?" Chu Shaoqiang couldn't understand.
Ma the Fifth smiled. "If I told you the local spirit changed it, would you believe me?"
It had indeed been changed by Qiu Luoye. Li Banfeng had thought it should be called Qiuqi City—Qiu Luoye was the elder brother, so the elder brother's name ought to come first.
Qiu Luoye had said, "'Qiuqi City' sounds like 'Autumn Seven Cities.' We only have one city! Once we have seven cities, then we can call it Qiuqi City!"
And so, the name Qiqiu City was settled.
Ma the Fifth said to Chu Shaoqiang, "Big brother, you're a man of real skill. Qiqiu City is currently hiring workers. If you're willing, you can take a job with me. Anyone who has real ability, I'll never treat poorly!"
"All right," Chu Shaoqiang nodded. "I'll draft another set of blueprints for you, even grander than Qianyue Tower!"
***
Xiao Zhenggong walked along the village road, listening as Liu Guocai explained what had transpired.
"Captain Xiao, this was all a misunderstanding. I must trouble you to explain things to the higher-ups."
Xiao Zhenggong sneered. "I've already come all this way, and you're telling me it's a misunderstanding? The Peak of the Sages is waiting for my report."
"Then I must also trouble you to put in a word with the Sage as well."
"Put in a word? How should I say it? Why don't you teach me?"
"I wouldn't dare, Captain Xiao. As long as you relay the truth, I will be endlessly grateful."
"We'll see. Is what you call the truth really the truth? We'll talk after a full investigation."
That evening, Liu Guocai hosted a banquet with wine for Xiao Zhenggong and his party. Liu Guocai repeatedly emphasized, "Wuqin Township has nothing of note, so all the ingredients and cooks were brought in from Lüshui City."
Xiao Zhenggong nodded slightly, looking somewhat appreciative. To tell the truth, whether it was the wine or the dishes, Big Head had never tasted such a high-class banquet. Yet he didn't dare pick up his chopsticks. Their mission this time was unusual, he wasn't familiar with Liu Guocai, and Liu Guocai held a high rank; this humble attitude made Big Head very uncomfortable.
"Go ahead and eat. Commissioner Liu's hospitality is not something you encounter every day!" Xiao Zhenggong spoke up, so Big Head no longer held back.
Just as he lifted his chopsticks, a woman in a dark blue qipao sat down beside Big Head and poured him some wine.
In the Outer States, a qipao was not uncommon, but this was the first time Big Head had seen one so exquisite, hugging every curve and detail so clearly.
Naturally, the appearance showed through the qipao, but the true essence of those details came from the girl herself.
Big Head blushed. Xiao Zhenggong looked at him and chuckled. "Eat up. It's all good food. In Puluo Province, there are far fewer restrictions."
***
Xiao Zhenggong stayed in Wuqin Township for only two days. Two days later, he set out for Jianrengang.
When he reached the Peak of the Sages, a checkpoint had been set up along the mountain path, and everyone was forbidden from ascending.
Xiao Zhenggong looked at the man guarding the checkpoint and asked in a low voice, "Do you know who I am?"
The man actually did. He whispered in reply, "Senior Brother, please don't make things difficult for me. Keeping you off the mountain is for your own good. An epidemic has broken out up there—dozens of our fellow disciples have already died."
Xiao Zhenggong was taken aback. "What kind of epidemic?"
"Pustules. Pustules oozing green fluid. Within a single day, they break out all over your body, and three days later, you're dead.
"I'm lucky to be down here guarding the checkpoint. The disciples up on the mountain don't even know if they'll live to see tomorrow."
Xiao Zhenggong left the Peak of the Sages immediately. As a high-tier martial cultivator, he sprinted all the way with the speed of a journey cultivator.
No wonder the Sage had made no moves during this period.
Losing dozens of disciples in one stroke...
The Peak of the Sages had suffered a devastating blow to its vitality.
Who had done this?
Lü Huazi?
When had he turned against the Sage?
Xiao Zhenggong looked at the farmers working in the fields by the roadside; he saw no pustules on them yet.
Striking only at the Peak of the Sages while sparing the commoners of Jianrengang?
That didn't fit Lü Huazi's style.
***
Critick asked a farmer for a bowl of water and drank it in one gulp.
Three days.
He had walked for three whole days, yet he still hadn't been able to make his way out of Jianrengang.
This was a technique cast by the Sage, a high-tier joy-cultivator art—Overlapping Peaks.
Critick had seen this technique once before, but he didn't know how to break it.
Two paths lay before him.
The first path was to keep walking, trying by any means to walk out of Jianrengang. Overlapping Peaks had an end, but whether he could head in the right direction depended on Critick's luck.
Even with exceptional luck, choosing the correct heading and walking for ten days to half a month until reaching the edge of Jianrengang, the Sage would only need to shift the technique once for him to have to start all over again.
The second path was to spread the plague directly into the villages.
These villagers were the Sage's crops; the Sage relied on them to sustain himself.
As long as Critick spread the plague into the villages and wiped them out one after another, he could force the Sage to let him leave.
However, doing so would expose his whereabouts, and he could be captured alive by the Sage at any moment.
Critick was torn. Between these two paths, he had to choose one.
Just as he was about to make his decision, a man wearing a white diagonal-lapel long gown and a white fedora, holding a folding fan, arrived beside Critick.
"From out of town? Lost your way? I'll lead you out."
Critick frowned. "Who are you?"
The man smiled. "Right now, your benefactor. Later on, likely an acquaintance. Your grandmaster wants to cooperate with me, and he's shown considerable sincerity, so I must offer him a return gift."
"What cooperation? What return gift?" Critick was reluctant to trust the man before him.
The man urged, "Let's leave this place first. In all the world, the place I should least set foot in is Jianrengang."
The man had not deceived Critick. Leading him along for more than two hours, a valley appeared at the end of the mountain path.
Critick had walked this mountain path many times, yet he had never seen this valley.
"What kind of technique did you actually use? How could you find the way out?" Critick couldn't fathom it.
The man glanced at the valley. "Let's walk through and see first. It's hard to say whether this is the way out."
Passing through the valley, a wilderness appeared ahead.
Critick exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "This is Wuyouping!"
The man nodded. "Wuyouping—once the royal capital, now an oldland. Let's pick up the pace; it's best we don't run into the Actor Prince."
Critick said, "You know this place well."
"Indeed. The people here wanted to invite me over; if I couldn't recognize the roads, how would I dare show up at their doorstep?"
Leaving Wuyouping, the man led Critick aboard the nearest train and traveled all the way back to Lüshui Bay.
Upon arriving at Wujie Hospital, a doctor was looking over patient records in Critick's office.
"Grandmaster, I have accomplished the mission," Critick said, bowing to the doctor.
Lüshui Beggar took off his face mask, nodded, and smiled. "I've been looking after your business all this time as well."
With that, Lüshui Beggar turned his gaze toward the man in the white long gown. "He Jiaqing, you are a man of your word."
Critick was inwardly startled. So this man was He Jiaqing.
He Jiaqing raised an eyebrow. "The chief of Lüshui Bay is certainly a man of his word as well."
Lüshui Beggar reached into his robes, drew out a semi-arched iron tally, and handed it to He Jiaqing.
He Jiaqing accepted the iron tally, and after confirming it was genuine and undamaged, said to Lüshui Beggar, "I truly didn't expect you to trade such a precious item for a single disciple."
Lüshui Beggar looked at Critick and said, "He is worthy of it."
He Jiaqing stowed away the covenant deed and said, "I believe we'll have many more opportunities to cooperate."
Lüshui Beggar nodded. "There are quite a few opportunities right now. You know Chu Shaoqiang, don't you?"
PS: The extra covenant deed in Lüshui Beggar's possession had come from another beggar.
Chapter 432